Lifetime maximization via optimal coordinator deployment for wireless body area network

Abstract

Wireless body area network (WBAN) consists of an coordinator and several wearable sensor nodes placed in/on/around human body and monitors human body functions and characteristics, such as blood pressure and heartbeat. However, sensor nodes are energy-constrained and lifetime maximization has become one of the most important problems in WBAN. In this paper, we deduce the lifetime maximization model and propose an optimal coordinator deployment policy to maximize lifetime for WBAN under walking scenery. When sensor nodes have the fixed locations and path loss model is adopted, different deployment policy of coordinator will obtain different lifetime. Our policy is used for confirming the optimal coordinator location with the constraint of bit error rate (BER). Analytical and simulation results provide that the policy is optimal and can acquire the maximal lifetime.